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Welp that battle was lackluster, nice to see the writer's still coming up with deus ex machina's to get Pikachu and Ash out corners in which they'd actually lose, cause heaven forbid we actually have a season were Ash washes out first round. Oh and the idiot savant once again get writer's luck because the production staff just fawns over him.

My Grandmother always said...
"She who walks the path of heaven will rule over everything"

Ash VS Trip was essentially a remake of Pikachu VS Onix from Showdown In Pewter City.
The writers can't fool anypony, they remade the battle just with Pikachu dying more. I did nearly cry seeing Pikachu all purple like that... I could go on and on and on about how wrong it was that Pikachu was being god-damned choked to death, but I won't.
I loved the episode, but with the over-emphasis of tournaments in this series, it just felt like another tournament...
6/10

This was awful, bad enough Trip went out so early, but then he goes out in the most anti-climactic manner possible. No Static activation, nothing, just 1hko after Serperior almost beat it. Also, "OPEN YOUR EYES!" What for? So it can see its demise? Seriously, what was the point of it having to open its eyes?

~mlfan05

Last edited by moneylesswario; 18th March 2013 at 5:38 PM.

I, stickerstaryoshi, am now authorized to use the usertitle "We got 3D: XY!", created by user Cresselia92 and to modify it according to my desires.

This was awful, bad enough Trip went out so early, but then he goes out in the most anti-climactic manner possible. No Static activation, nothing, just 1hko after Serperior almost beat it. Also, "OPEN YOUR EYES!" What for? So it can see its demise? Seriously, what was the point of it having to open its eyes?

~mlfan05

The leagues are getting worse and worse I reckon.
Indigo was great, I loved Richie, he was like another Ash, but different. It was wonderful.
Johto was incredible, Ash VS Gary five years in the making, I actually think this was the best league so far. Plus Blaziken and Kecleon. Wow.
Hoenn was fun, I loved Tyson and Morrison, two of my favourite characters in the entire show.
Sinnoh was alright... Darkrai and Latios was a bit much, they just wanted Ash to get car-parked so they could resolve the Paul thing. I actually think Paul was up there with Gary.
Unova is HORRIBLE. So many lovable rivals and so much potential. I won't spoil it for anyone who only knows what happens by the dub, but everyone I know was unhappy with the turn-out.
Good news is even though Virgil never had Sylveon, there's an Eevee episode coming up that I hope he appears in with Sylveon.

No need to say anymore; the Unova League started off lackluster, and it doesn't seem like it'll have the chance to get any better. What bugs me now is that Ash VS was at the very last part of League Episode 1, and ended in the early part of League Episode 2. Which sucks. Can't even count this for a full length episode; nearly just about half of one episode.

Ash VS Trip was essentially a remake of Pikachu VS Onix from Showdown In Pewter City.
The writers can't fool anypony, they remade the battle just with Pikachu dying more. I did nearly cry seeing Pikachu all purple like that... I could go on and on and on about how wrong it was that Pikachu was being god-damned choked to death, but I won't.

I have to admit, I was shocked by how violent that looked. Maybe it was just the animation evolution over the years, but even SiPC's fight didn't look anywhere near this violent. It didn't help that the whole setup was a bit of a clusterfeck with Ash yelling at Pikachu, seemingly fruitlessly and quite traumatically for the viewer, and then that deux ex machina win.
I still don't know why the writers didn't make Pikachu's encounter with Zekrom at the start of the series reset his power level, that way it losing would make more sense, especially against Pokémon it ought to have an advantage over.

Then again, Pikachu was only ever a glass cannon with plot armour in the first place.

I have to admit, I was shocked by how violent that looked. Maybe it was just the animation evolution over the years, but even SiPC's fight didn't look anywhere near this violent. It didn't help that the whole setup was a bit of a clusterfeck with Ash yelling at Pikachu, seemingly fruitlessly and quite traumatically for the viewer, and then that deux ex machina win.
I still don't know why the writers didn't make Pikachu's encounter with Zekrom at the start of the series reset his power level, that way it losing would make more sense, especially against Pokémon it ought to have an advantage over.

Then again, Pikachu was only ever a glass cannon with plot armour in the first place.

It was a traumatizing battle. It was milked to death (almost literally) because they realised they couldn't make the battle last the length of the episode, so they milked it for 10 minutes. Then the Pika-Swellow thing happened in a way, and christ alive it went all DBZ. The whole "OPEN YOUR EYES" thing... Pikachu had his eyes closed because he was dying. Worse than Aim for the horn.

It's a shame because when the writing team are on form they can actually create some pretty decent episodes. I don't see why the league's have gradually got so much worse. First being trounced by freaking legendaries and now this crap. It's not going to get any better either, if the general feeling towards the Japanese version is anything to go by.

I'll have a full review later, but these are all of the main problems I have with it: Trip going out in the first round, Bianca whining after losing (I'd cry, too, if I lost to him, but still), the way Trip got beaten (he gets OHKOed by Electro Ball + Iron Tail, a combo that shouldn't even be effective, while Pikachu takes hit after hit, and then gets strangled nearly to death, and still manages to pull off said combo? It didn't even make sense, either...). If Trip was a main character, and Ash a rival, I would hate Ash more than Tobiass.

The only thing I DID like about this episode is the title, and the way Sarah said it.

Yeah.

Ghirajinxaphobia (or Ghirajinxphobia) - Fear of Ghirahim being cosplayed by a Jynx

I understand why people thought the Serperior vs Pikachu was a little too much, but I personally don't see what was so bad about it. Pikachu has already been through a lot prior to that battle, but it always comes out fine like nothing even happened. I'm sure this episode will be no different. Just my opinion.

I understand why people thought the Serperior vs Pikachu was a little too much, but I personally don't see what was so bad about it. Pikachu has already been through a lot prior to that battle, but it always comes out fine like nothing even happened. I'm sure this episode will be no different. Just my opinion.

Because a single combo (the only true hit Pikachu got on Serperior) was all it took to take Serperior down

Serperior going from solarbeam and frenzy plant to energy ball and wrap was unforgivable. It's pretty much the writers knowing they made it too good for ash to possibly beat and so phoned in a handy dose of plot induced failure on the two.

Guys Pikachu was not near death at all, he was just about to faint. Pokemon are way stronger to die in that silly way. As for Serperior, its clear that its trained well in Speed to avoid damage, but it seems Serperior is not used to taking damage. Iron tail + Electro ball is still effective because its Iron tail powered up, means its a Steel type move, don't make game logic your 'base'.

The final main rival battle was like Serperior's winning, Ash shouts "Pikachu", Pikachu gains confidence, Pikachu wins!
Okay, we were sure that the outcome will be like this, but couldn't you take it a bit easier. Ash v Gary/Ash v Paul can't be compared to THAT thing!

Cameron v Bianca was surprisingly okay. We got some Bianca's Emboar battling (which was already shown as powerful during Clubsplosion), and we finally saw Cameron's Riolu in action.
That battle fared out quite well, and Cameron winning was a bit predictable as well (they wouldn't summon a League Rival only to have him defeated by Bianca...)

Guys Pikachu was not near death at all, he was just about to faint. Pokemon are way stronger to die in that silly way. As for Serperior, its clear that its trained well in Speed to avoid damage, but it seems Serperior is not used to taking damage. Iron tail + Electro ball is still effective because its Iron tail powered up, means its a Steel type move, don't make game logic your 'base'.

If memory serves, Snivy and Servine were well capable of taking hits, Snivy took a Quick Attack and I believe an Iron Tail from Pikachu, while Servine took multiple Vine Whips (basically Pikachu's Electro Ball) and a final Leaf Blade (Pikachu's Iron Tail) to fall to Ash's Snivy. Not sure how you lose all that defense after evolving despite the focus on Speed training

If memory serves, Snivy and Servine were well capable of taking hits, Snivy took a Quick Attack and I believe an Iron Tail from Pikachu, while Servine took multiple Vine Whips (basically Pikachu's Electro Ball) and a final Leaf Blade (Pikachu's Iron Tail) to fall to Ash's Snivy. Not sure how you lose all that defense after evolving despite the focus on Speed training

If you're training on something, but stop for a long time, you will lose what you learned or gained. I bet ever since his Servine evolved it didn't get a scratch, except when Alder 1-hit it with his Bouffalant, did you notice Serperior was a bit scared when Pikachu was about to use Thunderbolt even thought its not effective.

If you're training on something, but stop for a long time, you will lose what you learned or gained. I bet ever since his Servine evolved it didn't get a scratch, except when Alder 1-hit it with his Bouffalant, did you notice Serperior was a bit scared when Pikachu was about to use Thunderbolt even thought its not effective.

It wouldn't have been so bad if the writers had perhaps emphasised Trip's Serperior being unusual in that he trained it for speed and offence over its usually solid defence. Of course that wouldn't do anything to explain Pikachu suddenly becoming a wall.

Actually writing a full 6-on-6, or even 3-on-3 battle would have done a lot to negate this, allowing several of Ash's Pokémon to chip away at Serperior while he formed some kind of strategy to beat it.

Just taking hits while battling, no one forces his Pokemon to take damage for training purposes, besides its not that effective, but it adds up, and there are alot of other factors that determines a Pokemon performance in battle, its not a game, they have feelings, personalities, confidence, moods etc..

Originally Posted by jammiedodger

It wouldn't have been so bad if the writers had perhaps emphasised Trip's Serperior being unusual in that he trained it for speed and offence over its usually solid defence. Of course that wouldn't do anything to explain Pikachu suddenly becoming a wall.

Actually writing a full 6-on-6, or even 3-on-3 battle would have done a lot to negate this, allowing several of Ash's Pokémon to chip away at Serperior while he formed some kind of strategy to beat it.

its not numerical data in the anime, sure Pikachu could have fainted, but he knows very well its Ash chance to enter the league and he won't give up easily, especially that he likes Ash alot.

Originally Posted by AuraChannelerChris

A Serperior being trained in offense? Does even EV/IV work that way?

No IV/EV's in the anime. IV's are like talents, like some human good in Piano naturally, a Pokemon can be good in attack instead, etc..
EV's are training/battling and is lost partially if the Pokemon does not battle for a long period of time.

This has got to be the worse Trip vs Ash battle I've ever seen. Ten minutes of watching Pikachu being squeezed to death was not what I wanted. I was hoping for a new attack that Pikachu could atleast learn so that this wouldn't seem so stupid.

So I'm the only person who had a problem with how hacked that Samurott was?? Seriously Escavalier's defense was raised hella high and more then enough to take a Razor Shell.

Proud claimer of Cyndaquil and Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed !!
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